UWA Agricultural Engineering Legacy

On 28 September Emeritus Professor James Trevelyan was given a tour of the CEI:AgER facility.

Emeritus Professor Trevelyan led robotic shearing research at UWA from 1976 to 1994. The Shear Magic Robot was designed and built at the UWA Department of Mechanical Engineering between 1983 and 1985 and used until 1993. The robot achieved 100% automatic shearing of sheep with intact fleece produced with an automatic sheep restraint and manipulation platform in February 1989 in approximately 15 minutes, corresponding to a production shearing time of approximately 4 minutes. Funding came from Australian woolgrowers and the Australian government through the Wool Research Trust Fund. The project was the largest research effort ever undertaken at UWA at that time. For at least 30 years following this demonstration, shearers adopted a responsible approach to industrial relations and sought wage rises in line with community expectations, bringing substantial benefits to the Australian wool industry.

Testament to this founding agricultural engineering and robotics research and development, CEI:AgER has reconstructed part of the Shear Magic Robot ceiling rail enabling the robot (minus the fabric covers) to be displayed.